MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin forced three turnovers and held the ninth-ranked University of Iowa football team to 156 yards of total offense in a 27-7 victory Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.
The loss drops the Hawkeyes’ record to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play.
The Badgers forced all three turnovers in the first half – scoring 10 points off the miscues — and took a 20-0 lead into the locker room.
Wisconsin’s defense limited Iowa to 12 yards in the first quarter, 17 in the first half and 156 for the game. Along with the forcing the three fumbles, the Badgers had six sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the contest.
Petras completed 9-of-19 attempts for 93 yards, while sophomore Alex Padilla was 3-for-6 for 39 yards in two fourth-quarter possessions. Junior Sam LaPorta and senior Nico Ragaini led the team with three receptions for 44 and 35 yards, respectively.
The Hawkeyes rushing attack had 24 yards; junior Tyler Goodson had 27 yards on 13 attempts.
Wisconsin finished with 270 yards of total offense with 166 coming on the ground. Braelon Allen had 104 yards on 20 attempts and quarterback Graham Mertz had two rushing touchdowns. Mertz was also 11-of-22 for 104 yards in the passing game with one touchdown.
Senior Jack Koerner had a team-high 11 tackles, including nine solo stops, and junior Jack Campbell had nine tackles (seven solo).
The Hawkeyes return to action Nov. 6 at Northwestern. Kickoff for that game has not been announced.
